A small business website is a communication tool.
It allows your customers’ limitless opportunities to connect with your core values, mission, products, and services.
That is precisely why creating a website for your small business is an integral part of your brand strategy and professional image.
If designed properly a small business website can not only provide a 24-hour window into your business operations but can increase your sales and marketing efforts exponentially.
Here’s how to create a writer’s website for your freelance business.
In this post, you’ll learn about:
Create a website budget.
From design elements to content and hosting, list all of the essential elements of your small business website.
After you create a wish list of essential marketing tools, you can decide which items to create yourself or outsource to a professional. You only have one chance to make a great impression.
A poorly designed website can affect your sales and brand image considerably.
Reserve your URL.
Input your desired domain name into a domain search engine. Find a domain name that is similar to the name of your small business to increase the name recognition of your company.
Once your desired domain name is available register it for use. Domain prices range from free to $10 per year.
Get hosting.
Hosting is necessary to upload content and images to your site. Compare domain and hosting prices with a minimum of 5 registrars and 5 website hosting companies to find the ideal price for your budget.
Call each hosting companies’ customer service line to compare prices and ask questions about their technical support services.
Decide whether you will outsource the design of your small business website or create it yourself.
With numerous do-it-yourself website builders, you can create the design yourself. Depending on your budget, you can find a template to upload yourself or hire a web designer to create your small business website.
Decide how many marketing elements you will need to incorporate into your website before you attempt to create it yourself.
Write website content.
A basic small business website requires 7 pages: home, about us, products/services, contact us, privacy policy, links, and sitemap. Write content that will give your website visitors a basic overview of your company. Incorporate keywords that describe your site to ensure that you will be included in search engine listings.
Promote your small business website.
Place your website URL at the bottom of your business card and email transmissions.
When commenting on blog posts and in online forums insert your domain name into your messages. Research free methods to promote your small business website that requires minimal effort, but maximum returns.